Thoughts on 2017
Jan 27, 2018
The past 12 months have been busy ones for Economic Development Lethbridge and our community, and we are heading into 2018 full of optimism and high expectations.
Throughout 2017, EDL worked to bring new enterprise and talent to the city, while also helping existing businesses and entrepreneurs expand and grow. This year ground was finally broken on Cavendish Farms’ new $360 million frozen potato processing plant in Shering Industrial Park. We are proud to have played a role in making this project, the largest private investment in Lethbridge's history, a reality.
We are also proud of our work helping new small businesses get off the ground. In October, EDL and the Regional Innovation Network of Southern Alberta (RINSA), with support from Alberta Innovates, launched Teconnect+ED, a new series of programs designed to help local entrepreneurs take their business from idea to market.
It was also a great year for working with our community partners to promote Lethbridge and further market our city. In November, Team Lethbridge, a group of community leaders from 19 local organizations, visited Edmonton where they met with provincial government representatives to raise awareness about how the city of Lethbridge contributes to the province, identify opportunities for collaboration and discuss key issues. EDL also hosted Lethbridge’s first ever Ignite YQL event featuring 10 local presenters speaking to the theme of living and working in a bright community. Thanks to the positive feedback we’ve received, we’re already planning on hosting another Ignite event later this year.
For 2018, we will continue to work to fulfill our mandate of supporting local businesses and attracting new investment to our community, while also supporting the city’s new Destination Management Organization, which will be responsible for tourism and bringing major conferences, meetings and events to Lethbridge. We will also continue to develop our Lethbridge place-brand strategy using the feedback we received from our stakeholders over the past year. We’d love to hear your feedback; just visit chooselethbridge.ca/ourlethbridge to comment.
As an organization we will continue to look to our 25-member volunteer Board of Directors for leadership and to keep us connected to the community we serve. With their support and that of our many community partnerships, like RINSA and Team Lethbridge, we look forward to continuing to work to make Lethbridge the bright choice for new enterprise and talent, while helping existing businesses and entrepreneurs expand and grow.
- Written for the Lethbridge Herald (January 2017)
Throughout 2017, EDL worked to bring new enterprise and talent to the city, while also helping existing businesses and entrepreneurs expand and grow. This year ground was finally broken on Cavendish Farms’ new $360 million frozen potato processing plant in Shering Industrial Park. We are proud to have played a role in making this project, the largest private investment in Lethbridge's history, a reality.
We are also proud of our work helping new small businesses get off the ground. In October, EDL and the Regional Innovation Network of Southern Alberta (RINSA), with support from Alberta Innovates, launched Teconnect+ED, a new series of programs designed to help local entrepreneurs take their business from idea to market.
It was also a great year for working with our community partners to promote Lethbridge and further market our city. In November, Team Lethbridge, a group of community leaders from 19 local organizations, visited Edmonton where they met with provincial government representatives to raise awareness about how the city of Lethbridge contributes to the province, identify opportunities for collaboration and discuss key issues. EDL also hosted Lethbridge’s first ever Ignite YQL event featuring 10 local presenters speaking to the theme of living and working in a bright community. Thanks to the positive feedback we’ve received, we’re already planning on hosting another Ignite event later this year.
For 2018, we will continue to work to fulfill our mandate of supporting local businesses and attracting new investment to our community, while also supporting the city’s new Destination Management Organization, which will be responsible for tourism and bringing major conferences, meetings and events to Lethbridge. We will also continue to develop our Lethbridge place-brand strategy using the feedback we received from our stakeholders over the past year. We’d love to hear your feedback; just visit chooselethbridge.ca/ourlethbridge to comment.
As an organization we will continue to look to our 25-member volunteer Board of Directors for leadership and to keep us connected to the community we serve. With their support and that of our many community partnerships, like RINSA and Team Lethbridge, we look forward to continuing to work to make Lethbridge the bright choice for new enterprise and talent, while helping existing businesses and entrepreneurs expand and grow.
- Written for the Lethbridge Herald (January 2017)